There are a lot of people busy within Ecumen in shaping new senior housing options and services. We want to share with you some new development and service news from around Ecumen:

Detroit Lakes, Minnesota

Ecumen’s Emmanuel Community in Detroit Lakes has opened The Cottage & Day Spa. It provides expanded options to families in Detroit Lakes who are caregivers and need day services for their loved one.’We wanted to get away from the adult day care name,’ said Steve Przybilla, ‘Our day services go beyond care. They are very engaging and nurturing, and tie directly to our wellness value.’The Cottage and Day Spa includes the WellSystem Aqua Massage System, which other Ecumen communities also are using. A person can get a private relaxing whole body massage without removing clothing.The Emmanuel Community expansion also includes 16 memory care residences, 3 respite care suites and a large conference room and kitchen expansion.’This allows us to build upon our value of service, and serve customers in Detroit Lakes in new and expanded ways,’ says Steve.The $6.9 million expansion was supported by a $250,000 grant from the Minnesota Department of Human Services. According to a state study informal caregivers provide more than 90% of care at home and each 2% reduction in those caregivers costs the state nearly $10 million annually.

Apple Valley, Minnesota

Construction has begun on 20 memory care residences at The Centennial House in Apple Valley. The $3.7 million expansion will be completed next spring. It will be connected to the existing area of The Centennial House community, which includes 60 assisted living apartments.’Ecumen and its professionals at The Centennial House have been great assets to Apple Valley, and I am very pleased that they are expanding and bringing these important services to the residents of our community,’ says Apple Valley Mayor Mary Hamann-Roland.

Sandpoint, Idaho

Ecumen is developing Luther Park at Sandpoint, which will be owned by First Lutheran Church of Sandpoint.(If you’ve never been to Sandpoint, let me share a secret: it’s stunningly gorgeous – see area photos here and here.)Luther Park is slated to open next month. It will offer independent living apartments, assisted living apartments and memory care apartments. The focus is to provide services as people need them, so that they can ‘age in place’ and stay in the home they love even if they need more intensive care. The housing will be physically connected to First Lutheran Church of Sandpoint. Pastor David Olson and his congregation are enhancing their already vibrant community by expanding their community and creating new service options for Sandpoint-area seniors.Here are a couple of photos from construction. This fireplace is going to be absolutely awesome. What a great place to nestle on a snowy day amid the mountains surrounding Sandpoint.One of the things that we’ve done at several of new communities is integrate artwork or other ‘very local’ features into the architecture. Check out the stair railing over to the right. That symbol in the stair railing is a branding iron from a local rancher. We’ve used local branding irons in a number of the stairwells.

Bemidji, Minnesota

Last Thursday was a groundbreaking ceremony for what could become the first ‘green’ senior housing community in Minnesota and one of a few in the country. Ecumen is developing the community for North Country Health Services, one of the Upper Midwest’s leading healthcare providers.North Country’s mission is to assure a lifetime continuum of quality healthcare services. North Country’s new community will underscore that mission, providing independent living, assisted living and memory care. It also will be physically connected to their new care center, providing easy access in this wellness community.The new community will be submitted for LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification from the United States Green Building Council. Among the green features will be underground parking that will lessen impervious space and reduce water use, and lighting features that prevent light and energy waste. Many of the construction materials also will be harvested locally.